Medical waste and debris, pictured in this 2010 photo, came ashore at Island Beach State Park earlier this month, prompting Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th) to call for tighter regulations on generators of medical waste,Andy Mills/The Star-Ledger

LONG BRANCH – For 25 years, Jersey Shore beachgoers could run barefoot across the sands without having to worry about stepping on medical waste – and that shouldn’t have to change, an area congressman says.

After syringes washed up on Island Beach State Park earlier this month, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th) reintroduced the Medical Waste Management Act of 2013 to crack down on ocean polluters with waste disposal regulations.

“Medical waste dumping is a critical problem that needs a nationwide solution,” Pallone said in a press release last week. “My legislation will ensure consistency and clarity within the law so we can put an end to interstate dumping."

The Medical Waste Management Act calls for a tracking system that will hold medical waste generators accountable, giving enforcement agencies greater authority to take swift action investigating and prosecuting those who improperly dispose of medical waste. The bill lays out regulations to allow for smooth compliance for hospitals, health clinics, home source users and other medical waste generators. The legislation also establishes a syringe disposal program to educate the public about acceptable methods for individual syringe disposal.

“We must ensure that we are doing everything we can to keep our lakes, rivers and shores clean and safe.” Pallone said. “Medical waste poses a significant health risk to our beachgoers, pollutes our pristine waterways and threatens the tourism industry in our coastal communities.”

Pallone’s call was joined by representatives from Clean Ocean Action and the Sierra Club.

On Thursday, Clean Ocean Action Staff Scientist Heather Saffert said Pallone’s act would help address the problem before it became worse.

“Although syringe wash-ups are not as widespread as in the past, we continue to find syringes too often, especially in areas close to the New York Harbor area,” said Saffert. “Congressman Pallone’s Medical Waste Management Act of 2013 would educate on safe disposal methods for individual consumers and allow for medical waste tracking. “

In the summer of 1988, hundreds of beach-going days were lost due to medical waste dumping on the Jersey Shore. It was estimated that the New Jersey tourism industry lost $1 billion that summer. Medical waste continues to be a problem nationwide, from our coastal communities to any place where waste generators choose to illegally dump.

Saffert said that the syringes recently found on beaches are likely the result of raw sewage overflows.

“While some beachgoers may leave needles on the sand, syringes are typically found with other waste from combined sewer overflows,” Saddert said. “Superstorm Sandy funding provides an opportunity to fix some of the infrastructure problems that release raw sewage into waterways when it rains. However, more funding is needed to reduce sewer discharges in the New Jersey –New York City metropolitan area.”

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"A day at the beach should not mean a trip to the doctor's office,” said NJ Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel in last week’s release. "This hurts tourism as well as the environment along our coast and that is why we need this legislation."

Provisions in the Medical Waste Management Act include:

Outlining specific requirements for generators, transporters and disposers of medical waste, including registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and appropriate compliance with labeling, packaging and storage requirements of the waste